Nine School Districts and Sixteen Schools Receive Purple Star Designation

03/18/25

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced today the school districts and individual school buildings that earned the 2025 Missouri Purple Star designation — the fourth round of designees in this statewide program:

2025 Purple Star School Districts

  • Cole County R-V School District
  • Henry County R-I School District
  • Holden R-III School District
  • Laquey R-V School District
  • Plato R-V School District
  • Risco R-II School District
  • Sedalia School District 200
  • Southern Boone School District
  • Waynesville R-VI School District

2025 Purple Star Schools

  • East Middle School (Joplin Schools)
  • Fort Zumwalt East High School (Fort Zumwalt School District)
  • Heber Elementary (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Horace Mann Elementary (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Loftus Early Childhood Center (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Maple Grove Elementary School (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Martin Warren Elementary School (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Parkview Elementary (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Ridge View Elementary (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Sedalia Middle School (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Skyline Elementary (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Smith-Cotton Junior High (Sedalia School District 200)
  • Sterling Elementary (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Warrensburg High School (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Warrensburg Middle School (Warrensburg R-VI School District)
  • Washington Elementary (Sedalia School District 200)

“This program is just one way to reiterate our state’s commitment to our service members,” said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger. “As we kick off April as the Month of the Military Child, it is an honor to award these Purple Star designations. Each of the schools and districts works to support service members and their families in their local community, while also ensuring military children are prepared for success later in life.”

The 2025 Purple Star designees are invited to be recognized at the Month of the Military Child Kickoff event at 10:00 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda on April 1, 2025, hosted by the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission and DESE.

The Purple Star School designation is awarded to military-friendly local education agencies (LEAs) that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military — including active duty, National Guard or Reserve members, and military veterans. LEAs that earn this designation will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite and on the school district (or individual school building) website.

To learn more about the criteria required to obtain this designation, visit DESE’s Missouri Purple Star Schools webpage.